1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the individual reset of one of a plurality of processor cards installed on a host system, or a server. More particularly, an individual workstation consisting of a processor card that is physically located in a host machine with a plurality of other processor cards, each using a particular software operating system, can be reset without adversely affecting the operations of other workstations or the host system.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, IBM and IBM compatible computers, such as the PS/2 (PS/2 is a trademark of IBM Corporation) use a CTRL-ALT-DEL (Control-Alternate-Delete) keyboard sequence to reset the system, typically after the software crashes, for reasons such as defective application program software, or the like. However, on some occasions a software crash will occur in such a way that the CTRL-ALT-DEL sequence cannot be serviced by a reset routine and the only method of resetting the system is to turn the machine off and then on again.
It is known that multiple feature cards, each having their own processor, can be installed in a computer that is configured as a host machine. Each of the feature cards will independently run an operating system on its processor and support a separate user. Thus, it can be seen that if the feature card crashes and the standard CTRL-ALT-DEL sequence fails to reset the system, the user needs another means of resetting the feature card processor. The user cannot utilize another terminal in the system to reset the crashed card, since all other terminals may be in use. Further, the entire host machine cannot be powered off and then on again, since all of the programs being run by other users on the system would be reset. A special reset switch could be hardwired from each terminal to the corresponding feature card, but this would make the terminal equipment, i.e. keyboard, display, and the like non-standard and thus incompatible with equipment from other manufacturers. Similarly, a special switch installed on the host machine, corresponding to each feature card, is unacceptable since users are likely to be in a different room than the host machine, and the switches may be in an inconveniently accessed physical location on the host box.
Therefore, it can be seen that a mechanism for reliably resetting, after a software crash, an individual feature card corresponding to a particular terminal, and which is contained in a host machine having multiple feature cards is very desirable. In particular, a mechanism is needed that will reset only the feature card that has crashed, without resetting any of the other cards contained in the host all of which may be running program applications for other system users.